By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Enugu State Government has commenced administering the second jab of the first batch of COVID-19 vaccination to protect residents, especially health workers, security men, the elderly and critical leaders against the pandemic.

Recall that the state government on March 8, received 65,400 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Abuja. The state-wide vaccination of health workers, personnel of security agencies, elderly and critical leaders against the pandemic began across the state on March 19.

Flagging-off the exercise in Enugu on Tuesday June 01, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Ikechukwu Obi, urged residents that took the first jab to endeavour to take the second jab to complete their dose and “get protected.”

Obi, however, reminded the residents to continue to observe all non-pharmaceutical COVID-19 preventive measures, adding that the state government had continued to strengthen all COVID-19 responses and team work.

“Individuals in the state have a vital role to play in checkmating the spread of the pandemic even at the community level by always wearing their face masks. They are continuously advised to maintain social and physical distancing as well as avoid crowded social gatherings or events. Always washing ones hands with soap under running water is vital now as it checks COVID-19 as well as other airborne and environment-borne diseases as well,” he said.

The Commissioner said that the state government had continued to deepen and widen its COVID-19 stakeholder’s response and other epidemiological monitoring.

“We are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that our people are protected and the state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, is giving health workers all necessary support,’’ he said.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), Dr George Ugwu, said that the state had successfully concluded the administration of the first jabs of the vaccine in the state.

Ugwu said that the state performed creditably well and was among the first seven states to achieve the mark of successfully administrating the first jab according to the dose made available.

“With the support of Gov. Ugwuanyi, we were able to have reach-out and got 33,800 persons vaccinated with the first jab in the state within record time. It places Enugu State as the best among the South-East states and other states,’’ he said.

Dr Okechukwu Ogbodo, who took the first shot of the second jab in the state, said that the vaccination was safe and secured, adding: “Since I took the first jab, I have not noticed any side effect.”

Ogbodo, who is the Head of State Isolation Centre in the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, urged those that took their first jabs to ensure they complete their dose by taking the second jab.

“We have been monitoring one another at the centre and so far, we have not noticed any side effect from any of our immediate staff and other health workers in the teaching hospital,’’ he said.

The ENS-PHCDA had deployed 102 well-trained vaccination teams to Primary Health Care Centres and fixed health post-centres in each of the 17 Local Government Areas of the state for the exercise.

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